I Made These! Felt Flower Hair Tchotchkes

I have been at a creative standstill. Selling the James Street house, packing, moving, unpacking, Christmas (you think Christmas would have motivated me to make something), now the floors; I just can't get moving.  And it isn't like it is easy for me to start to begin with - I am know to stand in my own way.  Not knowing what project to start, don't want to waste materials when it doesn't turn out, don't want to waste time - when it doesn't turn out.  Slippery slope, you know? 

 

I have done some little stuff, it it has been OK, but all I think about is making stuff.  I have been trolling around the internet looking at everyone else making stuff.  I am pinning every idea that I want to do.   I had to do SOMETHING!  Since Charley needed thank you notes (and I really need to write Christmas thank you's) I pulled out my L Letterpress and started practicing.   I have had this since Christmas of 2009, when Lee bought it for me.  I haven't done a lot with it since it takes practice.  I have been reading tips for using the press, and it really made a difference.  (Especially when I read I can use Goo Gone to clean off the ink - YEAH!  The cleaning clothes they sell are spendy - plus mine dried out).  I did get a different brayer than came with the kit.  That helped too.  

 

What I ended up doing is inking the thank you and blind embossing a doo dad.  I don't have a picture of the final product.  I will try to take on in the natural light.  I am doing stuff at one of the kitchen islands, in the late afternoon, so the light isn't great.

 

Next, I took inspiration from the internet and decided to make some felt flower hair clips and headbands.   Here are the blogs where I found the ideas:

http://bluebirdandtheboy.blogspot.com/2011/12/felt-flower-headbands.html 

http://www.sewinginnomansland.com/2012/01/11/giant-felt-flower-tutorial/ 

http://www.craftinessisnotoptional.com/2012/01/felt-dahlia-flower.html

I ordered the all wool felt from Felt on the Fly.   I ordered it to make a birthday crown for Charley, but it didn't come in time.  Plus, my little vagabonds need some hair help.  B is in the growing out stage and well Charley, let's just hope it is growing.  

Here are two - excellent picture.  I really need to work on my photography.  The light purple will go on a headband.  I think it will be too heavy in the girls hair if it is on a clip.  The little purple one is glued to a little barette.  (And if you look closely, you can see the blind embossing on the thank you card - sometimes it is good to do all your work on the kitchen island - HA!)

 

I like this one a lot.  For some reason I am loving peacock like feathers.  I have plans to do a peacock shirt for B using fabric paint, mod podge and glitter.  Maybe tomorrow.  Cross my fingers.  I am on a roll. 

Weather Extremes

Tuesday was a great day to be outside. After lunch I grabbed the stroller and the girls and I walked to turtle park.








Today, the bottom fell out sort to speak. It isn't a blizzard, but it is ok for the first snow of the year and really the first real snow of winter.











When we came in I made hot chocolate that only I drank. The kids at the gourmet Whole Foods marshmallows and whipped cream. Now, Charley should be sleeping but instead the girls are rolling around my bed.











- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sandy (and John) from Seattle and Some Random Things

OK, this is the fourth time I have tried right an intro to this post!  I just can't get it right!  Suffice to say, one of my favorite people came into town and we got to see her (and her husband) twice.  Which was great considering how busy they were while they were here.  

We started with breakfast on New Year's Eve.

A little iPhone while we wait.

John and Mike looked like twins with their matching sweaters.

B is reading Sandy the book she just drew.

After breakfast, the girls and I ran to Target.  B got some cheetah printed duck tape and we bought Mike a remote control helicopter.  We we got home, it was art time.

B made a cheetah shirt for tennis.  Remind me to hide it come this thursday or she really will be wearing it to tennis.

Mike charged up the helicopter and away it went.

 

Sandy and John came over for soup that evening.  Aren't we rockin' party people?  Chicken soup!

Sandy brought some cool things for the kids.

Sandy got some Charley love!

Sandy is the chief supplier of cool puppets.  B loves this dragon!  John and Sandy didn't stay too late.  We filled them up with soup and rolls and sent them home to Sandy's grandchildren.  I was sad to see them go, but as soon as I wean Charley, I am going to Seattle for a visit.  By myself - don't tell Mike.

After they left, we headed over to Marci's house for our annual New Year's revelry.  The kids and Mike played the new video thing Santa brought Marci's kids - Kinex?  I think it was called.

New Years Day we spent a lot of time in our pjs.  In fact, I think the kids stayed in their pjs all day.  Mike had the brilliant idea to set up the jumpy house in the basement.  The kids had a blast!

 


Mike had Monday off also (YEAH!) so the kids and I made some stuff.  I made Chickie's birthday necklace and B made these:

And here is just a cute picture of my little pizza eater.  She should be gaining some weight, because she is eating more - and a variety too.  I have loosened the cookie reigns.  I have found if you let Charley have a cookie, she tends to ask for more food.  Weird huh?  It is like the cookie revs up her appetite.

 

They are working like little bees (ANNOYING bees) on the floors.  I feel displaced.  With trying to sell the house last summer, then the move, then the unpacking, then Christmas, there has been little time to relax.  Now this.  Yes, I know we asked for it.  I am just having a hard time with people in the house.  That, and they are all over.  We are all sitting in the kitchen right now.  Oh how I am dreaming of a comfy chair and Martha Stewart on the TV.....

Charley's Birthday Weekend

Well, Charley turned two on Friday.  I can totally remember when she was born.  I almost had a tear in my eye when I saw her sleeping, and remember how little she was that first night, all cuddled up with me.  Cha Cha has grown quite a bit, and now has the vocabulary to match.  She isn't using complex sentences, but she is stringing up to five syllables together, and saying things spontaneously.  It is wonderful - most of the time.  Her and B just chatter, chatter and scream.  Life is noisy in the Brady House.  

I almost forgot about planning a party for the Chicken.  With Christmas and my 3 week long sickness, it just about slipped my mind. I didn't have time to order an invitation, so I made my own with the Silhouette software.  The sock monkey and balloon is one of the shapes you can buy and I made the little trampoline.  We were originally going to go to the jumpy place for an hour and a half or so, then come back for real food and cake.  But, our floors are being installed and the house is a disaster area!  (Basically, the girls and I hang out in the kitchen and art room.  Pretty much everything else is being worked on.  So, let's hope they get finished FAST!)  So, I changed the party to a place called MOnkey Bizness.  A place where kids can climb on stuff, jump in a jumpy house, slide down slides.  It really is a fun place, and the girls love it there.

Aren't they kind of cute?

Charley's actual birthday was Friday.  She didn't have school, so on Thursday I sent her in her birthday outfit, with cookies for her class.  She came home with extra cookies (yeah!) and a crown.  Charley really seems to like the birthday attention, and it only got better for her. I made her shirt from the same sock monkey, but I used the Silhouette designer edition to add in the rhinestones.   So, the monkey was cut from the Silhouette heat transfer material and rhinestones for the heart and number two.

I made this cute little necklace from Shrinky Dinks and Mod Podge Dimensional Magic.


Charley woke up to Dora balloons and this last minute present:

On Thursday, Charley played a little bit on B's playground.  They had one of these little Fred Flintstone cars.  I got it, because really, all I got her were some Polly Pocket like Dinsey Princesses and a tee shirt.

B has discovered feety pjs.  Won't wear anything else.  I lucked out, Target had them on clearance!



After speech, Mike took all us out for birthday lunch.  Then, since we had no where to sit in the house, I took the kids to the jumpy place.  Where, I found out, it is a good thing we were not going to have Charley's party there, because she doesn't like the darkness of the enclosed jumpy houses.  There were a couple she played in, like below:

B went down these giant slides.  I really wanted to join her, but Cha Cha wanted nothing to do with them.

Though, Charley did find a slide that was more her speed.

 

When we got home, I kicked the floor guys out and we opened presents.

  

Then we got ready to go to sushi dinner with  Dorota and Medium Tony.  Charley got ready by brushing her teeth with her new toothbrush (yes, that how desperate I was for presents) and putting her princesses in her "new" purse.  That lion is Nala from the Lion King.

 

This was Dorota and Tony's first time eating sushi.  I think they liked it.   B and Charley really like Dorota.  She comes in the house and they try to drag her up to the playroom.  At dinner, B had to sit next to her. 

Charley LOVES miso soup with extra tofu.

Tony, trying sushi for the first time.  See the look on his face?  He isn't sure.  Verdict?

He likes it.  But Tony liked the tuna better than the salmon.

We came home to have a little cake.  Chuckie is a champ at blowing out candles!

Saturday morning B asked if we had any blueberry muffins.  Yes, but no, because they had some mold on them (yes, that is gross, but wait, we turned it into something cool).  So we got out the microscope to check it out.

A friend of ours gave us tickets to the Museum of Science and Industry.  It is a cool place, but so much to see and explain.  B like the weather wing.  I like Coleen Moore's doll house.  We all like the baby chicks, though, it made me want to go vegetarian again.

Sunday morning was low key.  The party started at 2 and since it was at the Monkey Bizness, I really didn't have much to do.  Mike picked up the balloons (we had Dora refilled) and we picked up an Edible Arrangement and chips and guacamole on the way to the party.

Charley taking full advantage of her birthday weekend.

Lee and Jeana met us there early and we set some stuff up.  Lee ran and got some tableclothes.  She also brought the cake.  It was a stunner.

Jeana took a break from studying for finals.

Grandpa even got into the fun.

We had lots of friends there.  I don't want to post the pictures of the kids, because I never asked their parents if it would be OK.

Do you love the cake?

 

How about the birthday girl?

 

Marci, Markus and (shy) Max made the drive to the party.

 

Here are the cute favors - chocolate covered oreos.  

We brought the presents home and had fun opening them.  We also had fun playing with some.

 

I think she had a good weekend.  She is a little tired today - who isn't though!  Mike and I stayed up watching the new karate kid.   I want that 2 hours back!